The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), in partnership with three other medical societies operating in the vascular disease space that form the PAD Pulse Alliance, is taking part in a peripheral arterial disease (PAD) public awareness campaign called “Get a Pulse on PAD.”
Alongside the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC), the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) and Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), the group aims to educate people on PAD risk factors and potential symptoms, as well as to encourage patients to advocate for their own health with their doctors.
The awareness campaign, taglined “Kick Off the Conversation,” kicked off as the PAD Pulse Alliance released survey data showing that 70% of Americans are unaware of the disease, contributing to 400 amputations performed each day in the U.S.
“The collaboration among these medical societies is a testament to the devastating impact PAD can have on people, families and whole communities if not diagnosed and treated early, and, importantly, early treatment usually consists of medication and lifestyle changes,” said SVS President Joseph L. Mills, MD. “We hope that care teams will continue to collaborate to ensure early and proper diagnosis with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for patients.”
To help educate patients and give them the tools to start the conversation, the PAD Pulse Alliance published a website and patient toolkit at PADPulse.org.
